Definition

Action for annulment (EU law) [RO: acțiunea in anulare, FR: l`action en annulement, GR: προσφυγή ακυρώσεως, Alb.: Veprim për Anullim] (See also: court of justice of the European Union, supremacy of EU law, principle of subsidiarity, review of legality) = a legal action which can be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union when the claimant demands the annulment of an act adopted by a European Union institution, body, office or organisation. According to the article 263 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, grounds for annulment are the lack of competence; the infringement of an essential procedural requirement; the infringement of the Treaties or of any rule of law relating to their application; the misuse of powers.

The plaintiffs are divided in two categories: the privileged ones are the Member States, the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council; while individuals constitute non-privileged plaintiffs, which mean that they have to demonstrate an interest in taking action in order to request the annulment. They have two months for bringing the action before the CJUE. The period begins from the date of publication of the measure, its notification to the plaintiff or from the day on which they became aware of the act.

If the action is founded, the CJEU can annul the act in its entirety or certain provisions only. The annulled act or the provisions have no longer effect in this situation and the institution, body, office or organization which adopted  the act have to fill the legal void according to the CJUE judgment.

Useful links

Legislation

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A12012E263 - Article 263 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union [English]

Organisations and associations

http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/ - Court of Justice of the European Union

Case Law

https://eulitigationblog.com/category/annulment-action/ - Annulment Actions Archive, EU Litigation Blog  [English]

http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d2dc30d50318efcaab4f4ecf9ab7b66b4c9a683c.e34KaxiLc3qMb40Rch0SaxyKaN10?text=&docid=184506&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=62076 - Court of Justice of the European Union, Case C-294/15 Mikołajczyk, 13 October 2016 [English]

Online publications

http://www.fenechlaw.com/newsArticles/userFiles/Id%20Dritt%20Vol%20XXII%20-%20Jeanette%20Ciantar%20-%2027%2003%202012.pdf - Ciantar J., Mission accomplished? The evolution of the action for annulment and access to justice in the European Union after the Treaty of Lisbon, Dritt Vol. XXII [English]

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=7D23FD248E7A5C2C86D5369DA7E3EB66?doi=10.1.1.676.3140&rep=rep1&type=pdf Eliantonio M., 2010, Private Parties and the Annulment Procedure: Can the Gap in the European System of Judicial Protection Be Closed?, Journal of Politics and Law, Vol. 3 No. 2 [English]

https://www.coleurope.eu/system/files_force/research-paper/gclc_wp_06-05.pdf?download=1 Geradin D., 2005, Droit de la concurrence et recours en annulation à l'ère post-modernisation, GCLC Working Paper 06/05, The Global Competition Law Centre Working Papers [French]

Publications

Blanquet M., Isaac G., 2012, Droit général de l'Union européenne, Sirey [French]

Craig P., De Burca G., 2011, EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials, Oxford, Oxford University Press [English]

Saxpekidou E., 2013, European Law, Greece, Sakkoulas [Greek]

Stefan T., Andreșan-Grigoriu B., Drept comunitar, C.H.Beck [Romanian]

 

By Mădălina Enea